Â?DistraughtÂ? man retrieved from Lake Michigan ice pack

SAWYER Â? A "distraught" 19-year-old South Bend man was found barefoot on the Lake Michigan ice pack at Warren Dunes State Park shortly before 2 a.m. today, the Baroda-Lake Township Police Department reported. Earlier in the evening, James "Jamie" Hurst apparently left home upset, his family told police.

They "went looking for him because he was distraught," Police Chief Gary Ruhl said. "They were afraid he was going to do something to himself."

After checking several places Hurst had fled to in the past, family members found his car at Warren Dunes and concentrated their search efforts there. After discovering a set of tracks leading onto the lake, Hurst's father called police about 12:20 a.m., Ruhl said. Visibility was lowered due to snowy and windy conditions.

Lake Township Fire and Rescue brought out snowmobiles and followed the tracks onto the lake. At about 1:45 a.m., searchers found Hurst standing without shoes or socks about 100 yards off the beach.

Ruhl said it is unclear why Hurst went onto the frozen lake, but that his decision "put a lot of people's lives in danger."

"There's no guarantee how thick the ice is because we've had up and down temperatures," Ruhl said. "Those guys searching for him were definitely in harm's way with what that kid did."

The incident is still under investigation to determine if Hurst will face criminal charges.